Michael Edward DesRocher

Michael Edward DesRocher passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by his family on September 3, 2025. He fought a long and difficult battle with frontotemporal dementia, but he did so with kindness and love to his wife and daughter, who were his devoted caregivers. Even in his final days, he would smile at loved ones, and he always kissed Nancy goodnight. Mike was born April 6, 1950 in Alpena, Michigan, to Kathleen and Joseph. He graduated from Alpena High School, and he enlisted to serve in the Navy during the Vietnam war.

Upon returning, he attended Alpena Community College, then later Lake Superior State University, earning a Bachelor’s of Science, with aspirations to be environmental scientist. Utilizing the GI Bill, he then completed nursing school, which ignited his lifelong passion for medicine. He worked in the emergency room, critical care units, and did flight nursing. He found his niche in neurological care, where he worked most of his career. In 1987, he received his Master’s of Nursing from Grand Valley State College. As a clinical nurse specialist, he focused on neurosurgery and stroke care, and he had a passion for educating staff and patients. Work was never burdensome, as he enjoyed what he did and the impact he had on others. He was a gregarious man who loved to talk, but he also enjoyed listening and getting to know individuals.

In 1974, he married his best friend, Nancy Kaiser. She had been in love with him since she was 12 years old and dreamed of marrying him one day. He brought out the best in her, and she did the same to him. He encouraged her to be independent and adventurous, and she was his partner in whatever fix-it project he undertook. Together they had three children: Aaron, Adam, and Ashley. He loved his career, but his wife and children were always his priority and source of happiness. He took his family on many trips and ensured that their lives were full of adventure and exploration. Always a proud father, he cherished the time he spent with his children, especially taking them to parks and playing outside, learning about science and nature. Known for rarely sitting still and being very active, on his days off he started the morning by saying to Nancy, “Let’s go somewhere, do something.” Summer weekends were filled with boating or jet-skiing, and in the winter, he would cross-country ski or go on vacations to tropical destinations. He loved the outdoors and nature. Even as his health declined, his family would ensure he was outside in the sunshine, where he frequently smiled.

Mike was a humble man, always looking for ways to give back and help out. He routinely signed his family up for volunteer events, first aid at 5K races, or serving at the soup kitchen. He sought to find the good in everyone he met and believed in the importance of treating every person with dignity and respect, and he instilled this value into his children. In the 1990s, he joined the Army Reserves as a Captain, which brought him to Germany and Ecuador to staff medical units. His military experiences allowed him to see the world and help others. Mike’s love for travel took him all over the world, including an African safari. He became a certified scuba diver and went on many dive excursions over the years. He visited many US National Parks and used his compass to explore the world long before GPS.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Nancy; son, Adam; and daughter, Ashley; brothers Tom (Lynn), Jim; sisters Mary (William) Patterson and Susan (Gibson) Lepper; sisters-in-law Bonnie DesRocher, Mary Jo Burns; brothers-in-law Ron Kaiser, John (Laurie) Kaiser; and many nieces, nephews, and friends. He was preceded in death by his son, Aaron, and brother, David. Mike’s smile and kind spirit will be greatly missed, but we take comfort in knowing he lives on in our hearts and minds forever and will never be forgotten. If Mike could describe his life, he’d probably quote one of his favorite Jimmy Buffett songs: “Some of its magic, some of its tragic, but I had a good life all the way.”

The family would like to thank all the friends who helped with Mike’s care throughout the past 5 years, especially Chelsea and Morgan Wiler; we could not have done it without each and every one of you. A special thanks to our Faith Hospice staff Katie and Brenda for their kind and compassionate care. Memorial contributions may be made to Faith Hospice.

Visitation with family and friends will be held 4-7 p.m. Friday, September 19, 2025 at Cook Memorial Chapel (East Building), 4235 Prairie St. SW, Grandville, MI. A celebration of life will be held 12 p.m. Saturday, September 20, 2025 at Cook Memorial Chapel, with visitation one hour prior to the service.

The family welcomes memories and messages at www.cookcaresgrandville.com in their guestbook online.